Loading and unloading apparatus for multiopening presses



Nov. 25, 1941. E. w. WOLF ET AL LOADING AND UNLOADNG APPARATUS FOMULTIOPENING PRESSES Filed Aug. 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet .l

Nov. 25, 1941. E. w. woLF E-rAl.

LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR MULTIOPENING PRESSES s sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. '7, 1940 F. ms www wow .DC.m `O om WR I E, t54 E ,w i A fw l f I l 1W h.. im. W M

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BY 4 ZyU ATTORNEY Nv. 25, 1941. E, W WOLF ETAL 2,264,125 LOADING AND UNLOADINGAPPARATUS FOR `MUL'I.IFENING PRESSES I Filed Aug..'7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ELB ERT D CORBI Nvl JR.

INVENToRs ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1941 LoAnrNG AND uNLoADliva .APPARATUS vFoie MULTIOPENINGPRESSES Ellwood W. Wolf, Philadelphia., and Elbert A.

Corbin, Jr., Lansdowne, Pa., assignors of `fonefthird to B. zC. B. industries, V'a corporation :of

Delaware Application August 7, 1940,Seri'a1No.'351,658

-2 Claims. "1(01, 214-24) In the glazing, water-proofing or otherwise Aprocessing of `sheet m'ateri'aL such as coated, -or laminated paper, cloth or the like,"it is the-prac 'tice to 'place the Asheet material to be treated -upon the Working surfaces of a polishing Iplate, with or without 'other "packing `or cushioning materials and then subject the same, in single 'or multiple units, to the 'required pressure and 'temperature Ain 'a press. One 'or la plurality of pieces 'of 'sheet material with their contiguous `polishing plates 'and other accessories, `which 'will `be hereinafter V"described Kin 'more detail, consti- Jtute work units Vknown in the trade -as makereadies. A `press'of the type referred to comprises rvupright standards whichsupport an upper fixed platen or head, a lower, movable squeeze or `pressure platen, a Vpower actuated ram for forcing the lower, movable platen 'upwardly towards said headyand a pluralityof plates -mov- "ably mounted in spaced relation, said plates' :being kpreferably equipped to receive a heating `or refrigerating medium. The vspaces Vbetween "the plates constitute work openings, into which "the work units or vmake-readies are inserted to Abe-sulojected to theaction'of "the press.

VIt Jhas heretoforebeenthe practice to load the `make-readies into the -press openings by hand vand-to remove the completed Awork in the same manner. This is very difficult, slow and 'hard work, due to the weight'and'numberof the make- Yreadies Yto be loaded vfor -every cycle of the press, andthe -height ofthe press to'whichthe-operator :must reach. Also manual loading and unloading-is hazardous if the'make-readies, which have :been subjected -to great heat in ithe press, are to be -removedfat-once. 'To-wait until thermakereadies cool oil involves prohibitive "loss of time.

It is therefore the primary'object of Y'our invention to produce a substantially automatic "loading and unloading v'apparatus Vfor multiopening presses of this character,whe1'eby a'plurality of make-readies are mechanically and simultaneously fed into press openings, the'feedling of said make-readies .into the press openings .being utilized simultaneously'to eject from said press the make-readies previously in the press and the processing of which has `beencozmpleted.

Other 'features fof Y:construction and advantage will be more clearly understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l represents a view in vertical section, of an apparatus embodying this invention, certain parts being 'omitted and the device being .'shown Y'in 'the middle of "its 'cycle -o'f operation.

Fig. 2 represents a`vi'ew, V on 'an enlargedscale, `andpartlyin section and .partly Jin elevation of the apparatus, detached, and "in the "inoperative position.

multi-openingpress P, a receiving or unloading rack or skid S, positioned to one 'side of the press, a'loading rack or skid Si positionedto'the other side of thepress, and a propelling or Vram mechanism R. for ejectingthe vmaire-readies to be treated'from the loading'rack S'I ntothe press 'and simultaneously electing from 'the .press the `make-readies 'which -have been processed onto the receiving or unloading rack S. The press is conventional and'm'aybe. of vany desired .poweractuated 'type now available on'the market. "The press P has the xed head or upper platen 10, towards which is actuated by any suitable means,

not'shown, the lower squeeze or pressure platen `8. for Vlimited Vvertical movement a .plurality of spaced pressure plates I4 'which :maybe used at Between the platens `8 and H) are suspended room temperature, ibut whichare provided with openings 'It 'to receive 'any desired heating :or refrigerating medium. The spaces between the plates I4 constitute'work openings iorreceiving the Work units or the 'make-readies shown 'best in Fig. 5. Referring to'Fig.`5,*it will be seen'that 'each make-*ready or work unit comprises V,the

covers I`8 and '20 having therlanges or side walls 2| and between 'which 'arepacked lone or "more assemblies, each comprising a liller Y22, such "as a blotting 'paper or 'the like, `a 'doubie'face'd 'polishing plate 24,'two 'sheets ofthe `ma'teri'alto fbe processed y26 and '2B in contactwith 'theopposite 'faces of the 'polishing `plate 24, and-another filler 22. As stated, 'one 'or va plurality foifas- --semblies 22-'28 areconned fbetween the covers I8 and 20 and constitute a make-ready.

In order mechanically to load into a press as many make-readies as the lpress has openings and simultaneously to remove from said press a ride on the tracks 52.

corresponding number of make-readies which have already been processed, we have devised the loading and unloading racks SI and S, which are identical in construction. Thus each of the racks S and SI comprises a frame 30 which supports a number of roller-equipped shelves 32. The shelves 32 correspond to and register with the plates I4 of the press P when said plates are in their lower position, so that the spaces between the shelves of the racks S or SI correspond to and register with the work openings of the press' P. Assuming the press P to be filled with makereadies W, the rack SI is illed with makereadies WI and placed alongside the machine. The empty, receiving or unloading rack S is placed along the opposite side of the machine. The ram mechanism R is placed adjacent the loading rack SI as shown in Fig. 1. Theram mechanism comprises a pedestal 34 which supports a cylinder 3B. a plunger 38 having the head 40. Fluid pressure is introduced through the inlet 42 to move the plunger 38 in one direction, or through the opening 44 to retract or move the plunger 38 in the reverse direction. The plunger 38 carries the plate 46 which in turn carries the push rods 48. The plate 46 is provided with rollers `5 which At or near the distal end of the tracks 52 is xedly mounted the guide plate 54 which is provided with apertures 56 through which the push rods 48 move with the 'movement of the plunger 38 and theY supporting plate 46. It will be seen from Figs. 2, 3 and 4, that the push rods 48 are arranged in'horizontal batteries (three as shown in the drawings), and that each horizontal row or battery carries a transverse pusher bar 58. In order to facilitate the removal of the assemblies 22-28 the covers I8 and 20 of the make-readies W and WI are cut as at 60. 62 designates a reinforcing brace which was not shown in the other gures of the drawings in order to avoid confusion.

The operation is as follows:

The rack SI is loaded at the work bench and then trundled into position alongside the press P, which has previously been charged or loaded. The empty rack S is also placed in position, all as shown inFig. 1. Fluid pressure is then introduced through the inlet 42 to force the plunger 38 and hence the push rods 48 and the pusher bars 58 from right to left in Fig. l. This causes the make-readies WI on the loading rack SI into the press openings thus displacing the makereadies W (which have been completely processed). Thus, from the press P onto the shelves of the receiving rack S the processed makereadies W are ejected from the press by the loading of the press with make-readies WI to be processed. The fluid pressure is then vented, and the plunger 38 can be brought back or retracted to its inoperative position by introducing iluid pressure through the inlet 44. It is understood that the plunger 38 may be operated manually or by other mechanical as distinguished from fluid pressure.

As will be seen from Fig. 6, the ilanges or side walls 2| of the covers I8 and 28 form abutments for the pressure which is exerted during the ejection of the completed make-readies W from the press P by the make-readies to be processed WI, Without any damage to the delicate assemblies Within the cylinder'36 is 22-28 one or more of which are confined between each pair of covers I8 and 20 of the respective make-readies.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loading and unloading apparatus for a multi-opening press having a plurality of vertically spaced and movable pressure plates, said plates occupying predetermined spaced positions when the press is opened to receive work units between said plates comprising, a receiving rack adapted to be positioned near one side of said press and having `fixed spaced shelves adapted to register with said plates when said press is in the open position, a loading rack identical with said receiving rack and adapted to be positioned near the opposite side of said press,

' and a ram mechanism positioned on the opposite side of said loading rack and adapted to push work units from said loading rack into the openings between the plates of said press comv prising, a xed guide plate having openings therein corresponding to the openings between the shelves of 'said loading rack, a movable supporting plate, a plurality of pusher arms carried by said movable plate and slidable through the openings in said iixed guide plate, a plunger operatively connected to said movable plate, and means for actuating said plunger to force said pusher arms against the work units positioned in said loading rack to move said work units onto said press plates, the work units thus moved from said loading rack serving to expel work units previously carried by said press onto said receiving rack.

2. A loading and unloading apparatus for a multi-opening press having a plurality of vertically spaced and movable pressure plates, said plates occupying predetermined spaced positions when the pressis opened to receive work units between said plates comprising, a receiving rack` adaptedto be positioned near one side of said press and having xed spaced shelves adapted to register with said plates when said press is in the open position, a loading rack identical with said receiving rack and adapted to be positioned near the opposite side of said press and a ram mechanism positioned on the opposite side of said loading rack and adapted to push work units from said loading rack into the openings between the plates of said press comprising a xed guide plate having openings therein corresponding to the openings between the shelves of said loading rack, a movable supporting plate a plurality of pusher arms carried by said movable plate and slidable through the openings in said fixed guide plate, a plunger operatively connected to said movable plate, means for actuating said plunger to force said pusher arms against the work units positioned in said loading rack to v move said work units onto said press plates, the 

